Washing-machine



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A. THRELKELD, OF BOONE COUNTY, INDIANA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 29,638, dated August 14, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, A. THRnLxELD, of Boone county, in the State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and Improved Washing-Machine; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

In the drawings similar characters refer to like parts.

Figure l, is a side view. Fig. 2, is a longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 3, is a cross vertical section, showing inner end of machine; F ig. t, a corrugated ball.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my improved washing machine, I will describe its construction and operation.

The vessel for receiving the water, soap, and clothes to be washed, is a rectangular box A, of about three feet in length, eighteen inches in width, and fifteen inches in depth; other dimensions, relatively similar to these will answer as well. This box is placed upon two rockers B, of suitable curvature. A series of rollers C, about an inch and a half in diameter, have their bearings in the sides of the box A, (see Fig. 3) about an eighth of an inch above the bottom of the box, and about the same distance apart from each. other.

D, (see Fig. A) is a series of corrugated or ridged balls, varying in size from four to five and a half inches in diameter.

E, are projections or roughnesses on the inside of the ends of the box A, and are formed by the intersections of V shaped grooves (Figs. 2, and 3).

F, are half round slats on the inside of the side boards of the box.

G, is a yoke handle for operating the machine, by rocking it.

H, is the cover, secured by means of buttons a.

In operating my improved washing machine, the water, suitably heated, or prepared as is customary, is irst put in the uncovered machine, the clothing to be cleansed, together with the balls D, are then placed therein, the cover, fastened down, and. the machine made to rock back and forth quite rapidly, by means of the handle G. As the balls move, they of course, revolve, and as they revolve, they carry with them in their revolutions the clothes, thus turning them over and over very frequently. The corrugations on the balls D, the projections E, and the beads F, by increasing the roughness of the inner surface of the machine, cause greater agitation of the water, and the clothing, and hence, a more rapid washing of the clothing. The rollers C, also greatly assistin washing, by lessening the friction against the clothing, thus allowing the clothing easily and rapidly to pass from end to end of the box; these rollers also assist the balls in turning the clothes, and help to make a better lather, as the water is churned between them and the bottom. The rollers are placed on a straight line so that when the machine is put in motion, the clothes descend an inclined plane thus greatly avoiding friction as they move in alternate directions, this advantage together with the revolution of the rollers, avoids friction, and will throw the articles to be washed with force against the ends of the machine all of which greatly facilitate the operation of washing.

Having thus described my invention, I am aware that the use of balls in a washing machine all of which greatly facilitate the them as such, nor do I claim as new the rocking motion, but claim these two features, only in combination with other features of the machine.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isf- The arrangement of the rollers C, on a straight line with the bottom of box A, in combination with balls D, and corrugated ends E, the whole arranged on rockers B, operating as described and for the purposes set forth.

A. THRELKELD. Witnesses:

JOHN LEE, Jos. C. CLAYTON. 

